The Assistantship for Academic Year 2014-2015 includes a tuition waiver (covering
9 in-state graduate-credit hours per semester) for the year plus a stipend of about
$3,350 per semester (a total of about $6,700 for the first year). Students are required
to carry a full-time course load (a minimum of 6 credit hours of coursework per semester)
and maintain good academic standing. Students who are eligible for a two-year award
will be given preference, though one-year awards are also possible. We anticipate
one position for the coming year, contingent on budgetary approval.

Current TA's & GA's

Naomi Coufal is a second year student in the M.A. literature program. Her graduate work focuses
on scholarly representations of racial issues in the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien.
She also teaches a section of college composition as a Teaching Assistant.

Jill Durland is a second-year student in the M.A. English 7-12 program. She is currently studying
Young Adult Science Fiction and its use in the secondary classroom. She is also a
Teaching Assistant for the English department and teaches a section of college composition.

Matt Pisarski is in his final year of the M.A. English Literature program. He is currently conducting
research towards an article on Stefan Zweig focusing on Zweig's concern with legacy
and preservation. Matt's other interests include Modernism, Post-Modernism and the
literature of both World War I and World War II. Matt currently teaches Composition
at Fredonia.

In order to apply for the graduate assistantship, candidates should submit a statement/letter
of interest that details their qualifications and motivations for teaching a first-year
composition class. It can include discussions of any teaching experience, knowledge
of composition theory and current pedagogical methods, and other relevant preparation,
as well as how teaching composition relates to the applicant’s professional goals.
In addition, current students should submit one letter of recommendation specifically
addressing their strengths for teaching. New applicants to the program should, in
addition to the two they are submitting for overall graduate study, submit an additional
letter of recommendation discussing their strengths for teaching English composition.
Applicants for admission wishing to be considered for a teaching assistantship should
be sure to check the appropriate box on the graduate application (now online: www.fredonia.edu/gradstudies). Please note that full applications for Graduate Studies are due by April 1, 2014 for the 2014-2015 academic year.

In special circumstances, Graduate Assistants in English may be assigned to one of
a variety of tasks, such as assisting the Coordinator of Composition with writing
program implementation, assisting faculty with scholarly research, or tutoring at
the graduate or undergraduate level. Assignment of position and direct supervisor
will be determined by the assistant’s strengths and professional goals.

Shirley Ibach is a second-year student in the M.A. literature program currently working on an article
for publication entitled "Beauties and Beasts of Dracula, Carmilla, and the Strange
Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Her research has focused on the Beauty and the Beast
trope in Gothic literature. She tutors first-year composition students as well as
fellow graduate students in writing as a Graduate Assistant in the English Department.

Renewal of the award for 2015-2016 assumes satisfactory academic achievement and teaching
evaluation; all Teaching Assistants are observed/supervised by the Coordinator of
Composition, who makes recommendations for renewal to the department’s Graduate Committee
and chairperson. Satisfactory academic achievement at the graduate level means maintaining
a minimum grade of B in all coursework and a 3.0 GPA overall. TAs are required to
participate in the discussion meetings of composition faculty and are expected to
attend department meetings and to serve on at least one departmental policy-making
committee. Once appointed, TAs will receive a handbook for teaching composition and
will work closely with the Coordinator of Composition and other composition instructors,
who will provide guidance and feedback on teaching. All criteria for teaching assistantships
are subject to the policies of the university’s Graduate Council and the Office of
Graduate Studies. All commitments are pending final budget approval.